


Going Home

by LaneMartin13



Series: Parkner Week 2019 [9]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Fluff, Happy Ending, Harley Keener Needs a Hug, Iron Dad, M/M, mentions death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-19 18:11:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20214091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaneMartin13/pseuds/LaneMartin13
Summary: Parkner Week Day 9: Rose HillOR: Harley finally takes his family to his hometown.





	Going Home

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it!

Harley visited his hometown of Rose Hill, Tennessee, once every year. He always took a trip there for two days, always with Tony, with Abbie on occasion, but never with Peter.

Peter was smart enough to see the pattern in Harley and Tony’s annual trip, smart enough to know that June 10th was the day Harley’s mother died. He was also smart enough to know why Harley never accepted his offer to come with him. It was something he had to do alone, or with Abbie when the young girl wanted to do the same. He went with Tony because he was young when he started visiting and he had to be accompanied (and he would rarely admit that he needed and appreciated the comfort and support). After a while, it just began tradition for them to go. It was similar to how Peter and Aunt May visited Uncle Ben together, similar in how Peter went alone to see his parents graves. Peter had started to accept Harley’s offers of accompanying him and they went together, but Peter also understood that just because he was ready, it didn’t mean that Harley was.

Harley is twenty-six when he decides that he’s ready. He’s twenty-six with a husband and a three year old daughter and he’s standing at his mother’s grave with flowers in his hand and he feels oddly lighter.

Tony is standing outside of the car at the cemetery entrance, offering his support from the distance but Peter is right behind him with their daughter on his hip and his hand in his and he feels oddly whole.

“Mom,” he croaked, his voice betraying him like it always did when he stood in this very spot. “I’d like you to meet my husband Peter Parker and our daughter Lucille Mary Parker-Keener,” he said, releasing Peter’s hand and bending down, laying the flowers on the grave and staying there. “I know you’ve already heard all about them, and I’m sorry it took me this long to bring them with me for you to meet,” he continued, swallowing the lump in his throat.

When Peter noticed Harley was beginning to lose his bearings, he took over. “It’s an honor to officially meet you Ms. Keener, I’ve heard a lot about you,” he started, bouncing Lucille on his hip when she fidgeted. “I’m sure you already know this but you raised a wonderful son and I love him very much,” he continued, his hand moving to Harley’s shoulder when he saw him shudder and shake. “And you have a beautiful granddaughter who just turned three last month, say hi Lucy,” he said, turning his head to his daughter who did as asked happily and shyly. “I know you’d be very proud of your son and everything he’s become Ms. Keener, I’m very lucky to have him and I promise you I’ll take good care of him and our daughter,” he assured.

Harley managed to bring himself back up to his feet and he sniffled, his shaking subsiding and his eyes red as he rubbed them with his hands. There were so many things he wanted to say but he couldn’t find the words at that particular moment, instead sharing a look and a soft smile with Peter, knowing they didn’t need words.

“I’ll see you next year with Abbie okay? She has a boyfriend now and it’s getting serious so I’ll give him ‘the talk’ for you, don’t worry. I love you,” he said, taking Lucille from Peter and hugging his daughter close to him. “Say goodbye to Grandma Lucille,” he said to her, smiling widely when the little girl said “bye bye grandma,” struggling slightly with the word but beaming because she clearly knew she was meeting one of her namesakes.

Harley smiled and turned, Peter sliding his arm around his back and guiding him away from the tombstone and back to the car to where Tony was standing.

Once Tony took Lucille from Harley, his granddaughter squealing an excited “grandpa!”, and buckled her in the carseat, Harley turned his head to look back at the cemetery. “Thank you, for everything,” he said, looking at Peter now and kissing him gently.

Peter smiled and kissed him back before pulling away and shaking his head, conveying that it was nothing. “I’m proud of you,” he smiled, knowing how hard it was for Harley to do this today. He was overjoyed at his husband’s expression and how he seemed so much lighter now than he had been the past week, having been stressing immensely over this trip.

“I love you,” Harley said, pulling him in for a hug that was eagerly returned.

“I love you too,” Peter smiled, ducking his head down to press a kiss to his shoulder. “Now let’s get that ice cream Tony promised Luce,” he laughed, pulling away and taking Harley’s hand, lighting up at the bright smile his husband wore, one that matched his.

“Come on lovebirds! The princess awaits her ice cream!” Tony called through the driver’s seat window, a wide smile and his eyes twinkling behind those classic frames.

“The princess will have her ice cream,” Harley smiled, giving Peter’s hand a squeeze before climbing in the backseat to be with Lucille and tell her all about the town he grew up in.

Peter made his way to the front seat and he shared a knowing look with his father-in-law, the two of them nodding slightly with soft smiles before Tony reached over and clapped his shoulder before shifting gears and driving away.

As Harley guided Lucille (and Peter) through his own tour, he imagined his mother looking down on them with a smile. He would never forget her, would never let go of her, but he had been working on moving on for a long time now, and taking his family to the cemetery had been the final steps. Harley smiled softly to himself as he showed Lucille the ice cream place he swore by, and when he caught Peter’s eyes in the rear view mirror, his smile widened even more. He was glad he finally brought them here, this felt like the perfect time to do it and he was glad he waited until he was ready.

That was the day that the Parker-Keener family decided they would take an annual trip to Rose Hill, Tennessee and they kept their word.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Kudos and comments are always greatly appreciated :)
> 
> My tumblr is harleykeenerdeservesbetter so feel free to reach out (leave prompts, ask questions, chat, anything)!


End file.
